Personally its not silver at all it is magnolia/beige its not a pleasant colour in my view...but each to their own
B&W PX, Bose QC35, Sony MDR, or Bose QC30
- Thread starter manic111
- Start date
Personally its not silver at all it is magnolia/beige its not a pleasant colour in my view...but each to their own
I think I'm leaning towards the MK1 Bose, although they sound so boring compared to the Sonys. They're much more comfy (based on my trial in store and the size of my head!), and not too horribly priced!
That said, I'm almost leaning back to the QC30s. How easy is it too plug a Bluetooth dongle into a plane entertainment system? That's the only thing holding me off of buying them
That said, I'm almost leaning back to the QC30s. How easy is it too plug a Bluetooth dongle into a plane entertainment system? That's the only thing holding me off of buying them
I've had the beige Sony's for about a year, can't fault them. I too was deciding between the Bose, and the Sony just out does it in every way. Bluetooth functionality, being able to swipe on the headset is actually very useful to next track. The noise canceling is better than the Bose, and battery life is fantastic. They do get a bit hot around the cushions after long use but nothing major.
Can you share the link please?Found the QC35 MK2 for £275, which alongside their comfort swung it for me over the others. They'll be arriving tomorrow! Thanks for all the replies
Went into MK today and had another poke around the headphones, as still hadn't decided on what I wanted. I found the H900N to be quite uncomfortable, round the jaw line, so discounted them, liked the 1000XM2, Studio 3 which was not bad if a little cheap feeling, QC35 which were very comfortable and had another play with the PX. After about 10 mins I was still unsure so wandered through the department and came across their clearance pile, in which I found a pair of the grey PX's for about 20% off list, so have grabbed them 
They are in perfect condition and completed, looks like they were just an open box so quite happy about that for what I paid, connected them up and they did a firmware upgrade and have had a brief play and so far the sound is brilliant. Need to test the NC more and wear them longer but so far I like them quite a lot.
They are in perfect condition and completed, looks like they were just an open box so quite happy about that for what I paid, connected them up and they did a firmware upgrade and have had a brief play and so far the sound is brilliant. Need to test the NC more and wear them longer but so far I like them quite a lot.
Went into MK today and had another poke around the headphones, as still hadn't decided on what I wanted. I found the H900N to be quite uncomfortable, round the jaw line, so discounted them, liked the 1000XM2, Studio 3 which was not bad if a little cheap feeling, QC35 which were very comfortable and had another play with the PX. After about 10 mins I was still unsure so wandered through the department and came across their clearance pile, in which I found a pair of the grey PX's for about 20% off list, so have grabbed them
How well do the automatic sensors work? On paper it sounds very impressive, but they would need to work very well and consistently otherwise it could get annoying.
I’m in the same boat, Bose vs Sony vs B&W, they all get amazing reviews, and very similar in price. Argh!
I find the sensor works very well, I think the firmware update they did at the end of last year sorted out the sensor as I've had no problems. Sound quality is very very good, it degrades if you turn on full NC but in office and other modes it tends to work very well. Battery life is superb and they charge very quickly.
I went to John Lewis today to try all three headphone sets, the bose were definitely the most comfortable and the NC was good, but not outstanding. The B&W audio quality was very good, the NC was ok, but my word they were uncomfortable! The cups were quite hard and they really clamped on to my head, I definitely couldn’t wear them for long periods.
But the Sony were by far the winners, the NC was absolutely outstanding (my main priority) and the sound quality was very good, I love the feature of pausing it briefly by putting your hand over the right cup. They were perfectly comfortable, not as soft as the Bose and the cups are a bit shallower, but still very nice to wear. The touch controls will take some getting used to, but I love all the features and adjustments that can be made in the app.
The final thing that swung it was finding an A grade pair that had been returned and were in perfect condition for £289. So I am now a very happy owner of a gold pair of WH-1000XM2.
But the Sony were by far the winners, the NC was absolutely outstanding (my main priority) and the sound quality was very good, I love the feature of pausing it briefly by putting your hand over the right cup. They were perfectly comfortable, not as soft as the Bose and the cups are a bit shallower, but still very nice to wear. The touch controls will take some getting used to, but I love all the features and adjustments that can be made in the app.
The final thing that swung it was finding an A grade pair that had been returned and were in perfect condition for £289. So I am now a very happy owner of a gold pair of WH-1000XM2.
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Aug 2011
- Posts
- 682
I have a pair of QC 25's which I think are amazing.
I just picked up the Sony 1000Xm2 - a friend works for them so got a nice 37% discount off the retail price.
I really liked the look of the Bowers and Wilkins, but when the discount came into the equation, I couldn't justify the difference. I think these are an incredible pair of headphones, and easily the best wireless ones I have ever used. The noise cancelling is superb, even with no music playing.
I really liked the look of the Bowers and Wilkins, but when the discount came into the equation, I couldn't justify the difference. I think these are an incredible pair of headphones, and easily the best wireless ones I have ever used. The noise cancelling is superb, even with no music playing.
I found a pair of v1 Sony 1000X "returned / grade A / managers special" from the Argos outlet on ebay for £195 tonight. So I took a chance on them as the price was too tempting to resist. They can be returned if I don't like them and it will allow me the chance to give them a really good try at home before deciding.
I'd have liked the v2 but money is tight at the moment and this seemed a very good deal.
I'd have liked the v2 but money is tight at the moment and this seemed a very good deal.
My v1 Sony's arrived. Sadly the audio cable and airplane adapter are missing from the box, which was always a risk with a refurbished item. So if I keep them I will have to factor in the cost of replacing those (which is cheap on Amazon or ebay to be fair - about £12 for the pair of them).
I've been trying them for the last couple of hours. I'm very, very happy with some aspects of them but in other respects maybe I was expecting too much. As bluetooth headphones they are impressive. I have tried cheap BT headphones in the past and never really liked the sound quality. But these are, mostly, very good indeed. I recall them being better than the Bose in back to back tests in the shop but for higher end music I'm finding them a little unclear. They are good for bass but the trade off is at the top end. I think I've been a little spoiled by my extremely good open back wired Sennheisers which do beat these quite considerably in the sound quality department, when driven from an amp. I'm no audiophile although I do appreciate good quality. I was hoping to be able to replace all my headphones and earbuds with these on BT or wired on various devices around the house and commuting. I'm on a drive to simplify my life and trying to get down to a smaller number of posessions. I think they get closer to that goal than the Bose for my own use case. But they don't quite get there. I'm not criticising the sound quality too much and it still sounds better to me than I recall the Bose being.
But of course that's not the point of these headphones. The point of them is to be extremely good BT headphones with excellent noise cancelling, which can be folded and are very portable. That they do extremely well and I will probably keep them for that reason. The sound quality for BT headphones is great. But I won't be selling my wired Sennheisers quite yet; those are just too good.
Two other things: They are very comfy but the Bose do have the edge in comfort and in a quiet room with NC I can hear a very slight white noise (reviews indicate this is preset on the Bose too but slightly less pronounced).
I've been trying them for the last couple of hours. I'm very, very happy with some aspects of them but in other respects maybe I was expecting too much. As bluetooth headphones they are impressive. I have tried cheap BT headphones in the past and never really liked the sound quality. But these are, mostly, very good indeed. I recall them being better than the Bose in back to back tests in the shop but for higher end music I'm finding them a little unclear. They are good for bass but the trade off is at the top end. I think I've been a little spoiled by my extremely good open back wired Sennheisers which do beat these quite considerably in the sound quality department, when driven from an amp. I'm no audiophile although I do appreciate good quality. I was hoping to be able to replace all my headphones and earbuds with these on BT or wired on various devices around the house and commuting. I'm on a drive to simplify my life and trying to get down to a smaller number of posessions. I think they get closer to that goal than the Bose for my own use case. But they don't quite get there. I'm not criticising the sound quality too much and it still sounds better to me than I recall the Bose being.
But of course that's not the point of these headphones. The point of them is to be extremely good BT headphones with excellent noise cancelling, which can be folded and are very portable. That they do extremely well and I will probably keep them for that reason. The sound quality for BT headphones is great. But I won't be selling my wired Sennheisers quite yet; those are just too good.
Two other things: They are very comfy but the Bose do have the edge in comfort and in a quiet room with NC I can hear a very slight white noise (reviews indicate this is preset on the Bose too but slightly less pronounced).
Last edited:
Have you used the Headphones app that comes with? I found that once I had tailored myself a sound profile, they came to life a bit more.
They are also shipped at about 50% volume on the headphones, and even when you turn them up fully on the phone, you are still able to adjust volume more on the headset itself (not sure if that affected you at all)
Also another pro tip - if anyone wants any of these cans and doesn't mind second hand. Check out CEX's website for Grade A items.
Sony 1000xm2 and BOSE QC35ii @ £240 each and the B&W's are £285 - from what I've seen its a bit cheaper than you'd pick up on the bay.
Sony 1000xm2 and BOSE QC35ii @ £240 each and the B&W's are £285 - from what I've seen its a bit cheaper than you'd pick up on the bay.
I don't believe the 1000x has an app so the sound is what it is.
Still happy with the PX, the sound and ear pads have broken in a lot over the last couple of weeks and whilst the NC might not be the best the isolation from them is very very good passively.
Still happy with the PX, the sound and ear pads have broken in a lot over the last couple of weeks and whilst the NC might not be the best the isolation from them is very very good passively.
Well after using them for a while I've very much warmed to the sound of the Sony's, a lot. I also realised there was a hidden compartment in the box which housed the cable and airline adapter that I originally thought were missing. So I've decided to keep them. They were, frankly, a bargain.
Well, I'll weigh into this, albeit a bit late.
Just managed to pick up a pair of the Sony WH-1000XM2's yesterday. I did consider the QC35 II's and the B&W PX's. My friend recently got the QC35 II's, and so I had a wee trial of them recently. They were good, I will admit, but I am not a great fan of the Bose sound. These Sony's on the other hand, are excellent. I have given them a few hours use tonight, with various sources, from HD music, to mp3 to Netflix movies, and they have sounded great in every instance. I don't usually like Sony products, but I have been warming to them more recently.
I did want the PX's. They look great, and I am a B&W fan. However, with that said, every review I have ever read / watched, put both the Sony and the Bose ahead of them. I am too far away from anywhere that I could demo them also, so I ruled them out pretty quickly.
The WH-1000XM2's, however, were only £260 on the rainforrest for a few hours last weekend, and I just managed to grab a set before they went back up in price. Took a few days to arrive, but to save £70, it was well worth it. I certainly can't complain.
Just managed to pick up a pair of the Sony WH-1000XM2's yesterday. I did consider the QC35 II's and the B&W PX's. My friend recently got the QC35 II's, and so I had a wee trial of them recently. They were good, I will admit, but I am not a great fan of the Bose sound. These Sony's on the other hand, are excellent. I have given them a few hours use tonight, with various sources, from HD music, to mp3 to Netflix movies, and they have sounded great in every instance. I don't usually like Sony products, but I have been warming to them more recently.
I did want the PX's. They look great, and I am a B&W fan. However, with that said, every review I have ever read / watched, put both the Sony and the Bose ahead of them. I am too far away from anywhere that I could demo them also, so I ruled them out pretty quickly.
The WH-1000XM2's, however, were only £260 on the rainforrest for a few hours last weekend, and I just managed to grab a set before they went back up in price. Took a few days to arrive, but to save £70, it was well worth it. I certainly can't complain.